Chinese manufacturers have secured a strong foothold in the UK car leasing market, according to new data for 2026.
Select Car Leasing found that new-entrant Chinese marques account for three of its top 10 cars and family SUVs supplied to customers this year.
At the top of the leasing chart is the Jaecoo 7 SUV, which claims 25.98 percent of the company’s top 10 most-delivered vehicles this year so far.
This will perhaps be no surprise to anyone who has monitored new vehicle registration figures over the past 18 months, or simply kept an eye on the contents of their local supermarket car park.
The Jaecoo 7 was the UK’s most-registered new vehicle in March 2026, a feat it achieved again in last month’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) roundup.
Earlier this year, Jaecoo and its sister brand Omoda jointly notched up 100,000 UK sales. The achievement comes less than two years after the two Chery-owned brands entered the market.
Chinese marques growing in stature
During 2025, the Jaecoo 7 was the only model from a Chinese-owned marque to enter Select Car Leasing’s top 10 vehicles delivered – although it did claim the number one spot ahead of the Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Tucson.
This year, the Kia Sportage has been the Jaecoo 7’s biggest challenger, accounting for 14.59 percent of Select Car Leasing’s top 10, followed by the new Volkswagen T-Roc on 9.4 percent.
Although almost all of the top 10 is dominated by SUVs. Another Chinese model, the BYD Seal, does provide some body style diversity, though. The four-door saloon (pictured above) is in fourth position, with an 8.85 percent share of the most-leased cars.
The Leapmotor C10 electric SUV completes the trio of Chinese cars in the top 10, with a 6.70 percent share securing it eighth place.
Such is the dominance of SUVs, the Volkswagen Golf is the only hatchback to break into Select Car Leasing’s list. The perennial German model is in seventh place.
Car leasing customers quick to adapt
Commenting on the data, Geoff Cockerill, director of operations at Select Car Leasing, said: “Select’s own delivery data differs from that of official new car registration figures and suggests that certain Chinese brands are performing particularly well within our customer base, relative to their national registration volumes.
“One possible explanation is our customer demographic, which is predominantly Personal Contract Hire (PCH). Established company-car schemes may take longer to incorporate newer brands into their approved vehicle lists, potentially influencing the mix of vehicles selected by fleet customers compared with personal leasing customers.
“Overall, the lease market never stands still and customers are more adept than ever when it comes to choosing a car lease deal that’s best suited to their budget and needs, regardless of the badge sitting on the front of the bonnet. Jaecoo’s rise to prominence in such a short space of time shows just how quickly the market can adapt.”
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